Automatic door-activated air freshener

ABSTRACT

This relates to an air freshener which is intended to be mounted on a swinging member, such as a door. The air freshener includes an upper reservoir and a lower liquid perfume distributor or generator pad. The reservoir will carry a dispensing valve, preferably in the bottom wall thereof. The dispensing valve includes an over center valve member which will tilt from one position to another when the air freshener is moved. When actuated, the valve member will swing from one tilted orifice closing position to a momentary on center dispensing position and then to its other off-center tilted position closing the valve orifice.

This is a divisional of co-pending application Ser. No. 655,173 filed on9/27/84.

This invention relates in general to new and useful improvements in airfresheners, and more particularly to an air freshener which may bemounted on a door for swinging therewith and which is automaticallyactuated to dispense liquid perfume upon each actuation of the door.

This invention in particular relates to an air freshener having amotion-driven valve that, when actuated, will release a controled amountof liquid perfume. The liquid perfume will be dispensed onto adistributor which may be in the form of a paper or like pad.

In accordance with the invention there is provided a normally closedvalve which, when subjected to motion, swings to an on-center positionwherein it is opened and then swings beyond that on-center position to asecond closed position and, while at that on-center position, dispensesa prescribed amount of liquid from an adjacent reservoir. Mostparticularly it is preferred to incorporate the valve in the bottom wallof a liquid reservoir.

The valve per se includes a liquid passage or orifice and a valve memberwhich is pivoted below its center of gravity so that the valve memberalways tends to assume a tilted position wherein it fully closes theorifice. When the valve member is subject to motion which will effectrocking thereof, it will move from a first tilted position to anon-center position where it does not fill and close the orifice and thento a second tilted position where once again it fills and closes theorifice. When in the on-center position, liquid will be dispensed.

Accordingly, the primary objects of the invention are to provide an airfreshener which is activated by motion utilizing the aforesaidmotion-actuated valve and to the valve per se. Other objects andadvantages reside in the details of construction and operation as willbe more fully described and claimed hereinafter, reference being made tothe accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numeralsrefer to like parts throughout, and in which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a conventional door having mountedthereon an air freshener formed in accordance with this invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view showing specifically the overalldetails of the air freshener with parts broken away and shown insection.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through a wall of the airfreshener of FIG. 2, and shows the details of the valve formed in thatwall.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 and shows the valve in adispensing position.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view similar to FIG. 3 but shows the valve in asecond closed position.

FIG. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken generally along the line6--6 of FIG. 3 and shows the relationship of a valve member with respectto the valve passage or orifice in the closed position of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view similar to FIG. 6 but taken alongthe line 7--7 of FIG. 4 and shows the relationship of the valve and theorifice in open position of the valve.

FIG. 8 is another horizontal sectional view similar to FIG. 6 but takenalong the line 8--8 of FIG. 5 and shows the valve in its other closedposition.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, reference is made to FIG. 2wherein there is illustrated the air freshener which is the subject ofthis invention, the air freshener being generally identified by thenumeral 10. The air freshener 10 includes a housing 12 which may beformed from a suitable plastic material using any suitable moldingmethod such as injection molding or thermoforming, and preferablyincludes an upper part 14 and a lower part 16. The upper part 14 ispreferably formed of a transparent material and defines a reservoir. Thereservoir will normally contain a supply of liquid perfume 18 and whenthe upper portion 14 which forms the reservoir is formed of atransparent material, one can visually determine when the supply ofliquid perfume has been exhausted.

The lower housing portion 16 may be of any design but is provided withwalls of an open work so as to define a plurality of openings 20 throughwhich air may be circulated. A distributor 22 is mounted within thelower housing portion 16 for receiving liquid perfume from thereservoir. The distributor is in the form of a generator pad which maybe formed of paper or like material. The generator pad or distributor 22delivers perfume over a period of time and with a burst each time a newquantity of the liquid perfume 18 is delivered thereto.

In order that the liquid perfume 18 may be periodically dispensed to thedistributor 22, there is mounted in a bottom wall 24 of the upperhousing portion 14 a valve which is generally identified by the numeral26 and which is best illustrated in FIGS. 3 through 8.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 and 7, it will be seen that the wall 24 hasformed therethrough a valve passage or orifice 28 which is generallyelliptical in outline. The orifice 28 will also have a rounded wall asis best shown in FIG. 4.

The valve 26, of which the orifice 28 is a part, also includes a valvemember 30. The valve member 30 is of a circular cross-section and is inthe form of an elongated rod which may have a suitable weight (notshown) in its upper end. The valve member 30 is carried by a pivot pinor like pivot element 32 which extends across the short dimension orwidth of the orifice 28 as is shown in FIG. 7. It is to be noted thatthe pivot pin 32 is disposed below the center of gravity of the valvemember 30 so that the valve member 30 will normally not assume anupstanding position as is shown in FIGS. 4 and 7.

When the valve member 30 is in its upstanding position, there will be aclearance between the valve member 30 and the wall of the orifice 28.This clearance has been exaggerated in the drawings, and will be suchthat when the valve member 30 is in the upstanding liquid-dispensingposition only drops will pass on opposite sides of the valve member asis shown in FIG. 4. The drops of liquid perfume 18 which are dispensedwhen the valve member 30 is in its upstanding position will fall on thegenerator pad 22.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 6, it will be seen that the valve member 30is illustrated in one of its "at-rest" positions. The valve member 30 istilted to the left and in its tilted position will have an ellipticalcross-section in the general plane of the wall 24 which corresponds tothe cross section of the orifice 28 so as to completely close theorifice and prevent dispensing of the liquid perfume 18.

When there is motion of the valve 26 to the left as viewed in FIG. 3,the valve member 30 will swing to the right to its upstanding positionof FIG. 4 and while in that position will momentarily dispense drops ofthe liquid perfume 18. The valve member 30 will then move to an "overcenter" position and due to the pivotal mounting thereof below itscenter of gravity will continue to the right to the position shown inFIG. 5, at which time it will again completely clsoe the orifice 28.When the valve 26 is moved to the right, the opposite of this motionwill be repeated.

Although the orifice 28 has been illustrated as being elliptical inoutline and the valve member 30 circular in cross-section, it is to beunderstood that other accommodations or cross-sections are feasible.Also, it is possible that a continuous slow delivery of fluid may bedesired with a burst when the unit is activated. In this instance, thefit between valve member 30 and orifice 28 can be such as to allow forsome small dispensing of fluid in the closed position.

It is also pointed out that while the valve 26 has particular usage inconjunction with an air freshener, it is to be understood that the valve26 could be utilized in other environments.

Returning now to FIG. 1, it will be seen that the air freshener 10 isconveniently mounted on a door 34 which controls access into a room.When the room is not being used, the door 34 will not be opened andclosed and the air freshener 10 for all practical purposes will remaindormant. However, by positioning the axis of the pivot 32 parallel tothe plane of the door 34, upon each movement of the door 34, eithertowards open position or towards a closed position, the valve member 30will be actuated so as to dispense the liquid perfume 18 onto thegenerator pad 22.

At this time it is pointed out that the release rate for the liquidperfume 18 can be controlled in a number of manners including liquidviscosity control, liquid rheology control, orifice size, valve lagtime, and distance of valve travel.

Although only a preferred embodiment of the air freshener has beenspecifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understoodthat minor variations may be made in the construction of both the airfreshener per se and the valve without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

It is claimed:
 1. A door-actuated efficacious vapor system comprising adoor mounted for swinging movement, a motion actuated air freshenermounted on said door for swinging movement with said door, said airfreshener including an upper liquid reservior and a lower distributor, aliquid passage between said reservoir and said distributor for gravitysupplying liquid from said reservoir to said distributor, and amotion-actuated, normally closed valve in said liquid passage forpermitting momentary liquid flow from said reservoir through said liquidpassage in response to movement of said air freshener, said door formingmeans for both actuating said valve and causing air currents flowingacross said distributor, wherein said valve includes said liquid passagedefining a valve passage of greater length than width, a valve memberpositioned in said valve passage and pivotally mounted on a pivot havingan axis in the direction of said width, said valve member having a majorportion of the weight thereof positioned above said pivot whereby saidvalve member normally assumes a tilted position, said valve member andsaid valve passages being of related cross-sections such that when saidvalve member is in a tilted position said valve member fills and closessaid valve passage and when said valve member is upright there isclearance in said valve passage around said valve member for limitdliquid flow through said valve passage.
 2. A system according to claim 1wherein said valve member is circular in cross-section and said valvepassage is generally elliptical in cross-section.
 3. A system accordingto claim 1 wherein said reservoir has a bottom wall, and said valvepassage is formed in said bottom wall.